# A longitudinal study of traumatic brain injury in a high-risk population

> **NIH NIH R01** · LOVELACE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE · 2024 · $650,044

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global concern that precipitates a diverse set of health consequences. TBI is a
major concern in forensic populations -- an issue recently highlighted by calls for research by national public
health institutions [1]. Indeed, upwards of 60% of inmates have a history of TBI, a rate seven times higher than
the general population (8.5%) [2, 3]. TBI is a criminogenic risk factor [3, 4] and even mild TBI increases the rates
of risk-taking behavior, substance use, and future offending [2, 4]. Over the last decade our team has been
continuously funded by NIH to collect detailed clinical and neuroimaging protocols from over 4000 incarcerated
men and women. We utilize a unique pair of twin mobile MRI units that are deployed directly on the secure
grounds of forensic facilities, making it possible to conduct this research. Our dataset includes multimodal
neuroimaging protocols, thorough clinical assessment, neuropsychological evaluations, and histories of TBI. All
of our n>4000 offenders have consented to participate in longitudinal follow-up studies. For this project, we will
commence a longitudinal study on n=300 individuals aged 35+, examining variables that will differentiate
trajectories associated with cognitive impairments. We will also leverage advanced neuroimaging tools
developed by our team to provide brain-based measures of cognitive decline and imaging-based classification
tools for identifying brain injuries and comorbid conditions (i.e., substance abuse, psychopathy scores,
depression, etc.). We will also examine how the brain injury profiles and comorbid conditions change over time.
The availability of these unique resources to examine this highly underserved population makes this an exciting
project with the potential to break new ground in our understanding of individual risk needs and divergent
outcomes in TBI and neurodegenerative disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10851982
- **Project number:** 5R01NS126742-03
- **Recipient organization:** LOVELACE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE
- **Principal Investigator:** KENT A KIEHL
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $650,044
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-08-04 → 2027-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10851982

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10851982, A longitudinal study of traumatic brain injury in a high-risk population (5R01NS126742-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10851982. Licensed CC0.

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